'Delhi should continue vigorous testing, Covid, flu have similar symptoms'

As flu and coronavirus have similar symptoms, the Delhi government should continue vigorous testing to keep the spread of COVID-19 in check during the flu season, experts said at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held recently.

At the meeting held under the chairmanship of Delhi LG Anil Baijal, Delhi's Covid situation was discussed and it was advised that the city should continue with its containment strategy.

According to the minutes of the meeting, Dr Sujit Kumar Singh, Director, National Centre For Disease Control said new Covid cases have been fewer than 100 for quite some time in Delhi.

While referring to Shahdara district where the cases rose from 21 to 82 in two weeks, he advised that it may be investigated, according to the minutes of the meeting held on August 27.

Referring to the current flu situation in the city, Dr V K Paul, member, Niti Aayog, pointed out that symptoms of influenza and Covid are almost similar and therefore, contact tracing and influenza like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) survey must be promoted.

Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS director, concurred with Paul, saying Delhi should continue testing vigorously as influenza and Covid symptoms are similar.

Delhi battled a brutal second wave of the Covid pandemic that claimed several lives while shortage of oxygen at hospitals across the city added to the woes of the people.

On April 20, Delhi had reported 28,395 cases, the highest in the city since the beginning of the pandemic and on April 22 the case positivity rate was 36.2 per cent, the highest so far.

The highest number of 448 deaths was reported on May 3.